Phoenix Suns

For the second straight week, the Suns come home for a Saturday game trying to salvage a split after putting up a half-hearted effort on the road.

Last week, it was a 38-point beat-down in Portland in which the Suns failed to put forth the kind of effort coach Alvin Gentry expects, no matter the opponent or situation. And it happened again Friday in Houston when the same Suns team that had its offense humming in New Orleans was back to its old hiccupping ways against the Rockets.

Eight decent minutes to start the game, and that was it.

The Suns' starters had Phoenix down by 10 after one period. By halftime, it was 20. Gentry had seen enough by then, playing out the string with his reserves in a 99-81 loss on the hope that his team will put forth a better effort...
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Nash's age-defying performance against the New Orleans Hornets Wednesday -- in which he broke the Suns' franchise record for assists and dropped 30 points in the process -- showed the two-time MVP is as dominant as ever.

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Andrew Bynum scored 22 points, Kobe Bryant added 20 and the Los Angeles Lakers opened a season-high six-game trip with a 93-89 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.
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The Houston Rockets got the confidence-building win they needed before heading on the road for their next six games. Kevin Martin scored 16 points, Kyle Lowry had eight rebounds and nine assists, and the Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 99-81 on Friday night. Chase Budinger added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who got another strong effort from their reserves to beat the Suns for only the...
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Kevin Martin scored 16 points, Kyle Lowry had eight rebounds and nine assists and the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 99-81 on Friday night.


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Dwight Howard scored 19 points, had 16 rebounds and blocked eight shots as the Orlando Magic outlasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-94 on Friday night.

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In this week's episode of the Sunscast podcast we talk about the changes to the Phoenix Suns starting lineup with Markieff Morris asking to go back to the bench and Josh Childress being allowed to showcase his skills and play to his strengths as a slasher and creator. We also discuss the revised expectations for the Suns season.

Mostly though, in this episode hosts Seth Pollack and Bryan Gibberman argue fiercely for and against the idea that the Suns should tank so they can rebuild through the draft.

Gibberman argues that the only way to eventually compete for an NBA title is to spend years being bad enough to get top draft picks. Pollack argues that losing is losing and you can't gear your entire strategy around losing the most possible games.

Subscribe on iTunes or stream online after the jump. You can find all the past episodes here.

For more exclusive content, follow us on Twitter @Brightsidesun and "Like" us on Facebook.

Poll

Who won the Great Debate?

• Gibberman
• Pollack

  60 votes | Results

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The Phoenix Suns had no legs tonight, unable to keep up with the Rockets on either end of the floor. The Rockets stayed true to their M.O., grabbing every rebound and loose ball they could reach. And with the Suns playing at 3/4 speed, that was a lot.

Frankly, this Suns team doesn't have the talent to compete unless Steve Nash is playing at his very best. Nash looked a tiny bit slow tonight, which basically means he looked only marginally faster than the rest of his teammates but a tick slower than the Rockets.

Should we be surprised at the outcome of this game? No. The Rockets are 10-3 at home, while the Suns are 4-8 on the road. The Rockets rebound very well on both ends, while the Suns don't rebound well at either end. Channing Frye once again looked like one of the worst PF in the league: soft on defense and anemic on offense, providing no support for the always-steady Marcin Gortat (another double-double 15 and 12, plus 3 blocks and 2 steals).

And did Goran Dragic even bother to smile at the camera and offer hello to his all-time biggest fan? No.*

The sad thing is that the Suns couldn't even force the Rockets to play really hard. Sure the Rockets played quick and smart, but the Suns never made them play HARD. Never made them work. Budinger had an easy 12 and 10 in 24 minutes. Kyle Lowry was hardly noticeable with his 5 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds in only 20 minutes of action. Betcha didn't think he was that close to a triple-double, did ya? No Rocket starter had to play more than 25 minutes tonight. Ugh.

*But at least he didn't kill the Suns. Dragic had 10 points (1 3-ptr), 3 assists and 1 rebound and 4 miscues in 19 minutes. Thanks buddy!

The Dream Shake

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What the hell. Let's go ahead and steal another game on the road! Why not, right?

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Coming off their highest scoring game of the year, the Phoenix Suns try to steal a win against a Rockets team that has been playing extremely well, winners of 10 of 12 before dropping their last two.

The Rockets are somehow 4th in rebounds per game, that ranking boosted mostly on offensive rebounds. As far as Suns killers are concerned (besides rebounding, that is), Rockets players Luis Scola, Kyle Lowry and Samuel Dalembert (and even Chase Budinger) always do well against the Suns, while Kevin Martin usually plays poorly.

Yet despite those Suns killers, the Suns have won the last 7 matchups when Steve Nash plays.

Speaking of Nash, the Suns' all-time assists leader, he sure moved well for having a major charlie-horse didn't he? Lets hope nothing swells up in these last couple days. Let's also hope Markieff Morris feels good about himself, having hooked up with his brother for the first time since training camp started, and plays like the savvy rookie we loved in the season's first two weeks.

But let's be honest. BSotS eyes are glued to one guy, and that guy isn't even in the starting lineup for either team. We're all just biding time till late in the first quarter when youknowwho steps onto the court, looking down at the floor while wiping his hands off on the back of his shorts as he walks to midcourt. We're all just waiting for that herky-jerky guy to run the Rockets' second-team offense, hit a couple of threes, commit a couple turnovers and make a couple good passes. We're just hoping the still-Slovenian and former Sun Goran Dragic doesn't make a ton of threes on us, like a lot of other former Suns have this season.

Goran, if you're reading this blog (and you might, since you're a fan of overlord Seth and all), please know that we love you and miss you. You've got nothing to prove tonight. There's no need to take a bunch of shots, no need to play superhero like you did against San Antonio in the playoffs a couple years ago. Just smile into the camera, mouth "Hi Jennifer!" and play your usual game. K? Thanks!

Suns stats...

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Rockets stats...

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Suns vs Rockets coverage

The Dream Shake

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Looking to get good seats for a Suns game but don't want to spend a ton of money? Tomorrow night's game against the Bobcats is your chance! Through our ticket partner TiqIQ's "make an offer" feature, you can essentially pick your price to get in to the game, and get close to the action: For a "2 star seat" that usually sells for over $66 (after all the fees), you can score substantial savings for an offer of around $25, with no additional fees for shipping or handling.

So yeah, it's not like the Bobcats are a marquee team, but seeing the Suns from good seats, close to the action is a great experience, no matter the opponent. How many more chances will you get to see Steve Nash and Grant Hill in the purple and orange? And these tickets would normally put a serious dent in your wallet.

But you have to move as quickly as Shannon Brown chucking up a jumper early in the shot clock, as this deal EXPIRES on Friday night. To hoist up your shot for some good, inexpensive seats, click here: http://tiqiq.us/7QS

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Notes: Marcin Gortat's work as a top-10 rebounder in the NBA defies his team's standing as the league's second-worst rebounding team.
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PLAYER NOTES: --G Steve Nash didn't have much in the tank two nights after exploding for 30 points and 10 assists in New Orleans. Conserving energy for the tail end of a back-to-back with Charlotte Saturday, Nash played only 25 minutes collecting six points and nine assists before taking a seat for the night. --C Marcin Gortat extended his double-digit rebounding streak to 14 games with a 15-point, 12-rebound effort. He has the longest current double-digit rebounding streak in the NBA, and the second-longest streak in the league overall this year (Kevin Love-15). Gortat has a double-double in 13 of his last 14 games. --G Shannon Brown did not play in last Saturday's win over Memphis, but he's back in the rotation and producing. He finished with 12 points in 22 minutes off the bench -- but the rest of the seven Phoenix reserves produced just 22 points for the night. MEDICAL WATCH: --No significant injuries. ROTATION: Starters: --Point guard Steve Nash --Shooting guard Jared Dudley --Small forward Grant Hill --Power forward Channing Frye --Center Marcin Gortat Bench: --Forward Josh Childress --Shooting guard Michael Redd --Forward Hakim Warrick --Guard Ronnie Price --Point guard Sebastian Telfair --Guard Shannon Brown --Forward Markieff Morris --Center Robin Lopez


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--The Suns had another miserable shooting night. They shot 41 percent from the field and missed 15 of 19 3-pointers in the game, with Jared Dudley and Steve Nash the only Suns to make a shot from behind the arc. The five Suns reserves that attempted 3-pointers were a combined 0 for 8. "We were having problems scoring," Nash said. "We hung pretty close for the first eight minutes or so then instead of going back to getting the game closer, we let it get away from us." Once again, it was the second unit that couldn't keep up the pace. Nash had nine assists, but four came in the first six minutes when the Suns took a brief lead. But when Nash and Grant Hill went to the bench, Houston outscored the Suns 15-6 to take a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter. It only got worse from there. --In a season of inconsistency, center Marcin Gortat remains the rock-solid exception for the Suns. Gortat record his 13th double-double in the last 14 games with 15 points and 12 rebounds. But the rest of the Suns have been so up and down and the Polish Hammer is starting to get disgusted with the effort being put out around him. For the second time in the last week, the Suns got behind early and raised a white flag in the second half, never putting together the semblance of a rally. "We came out without any energy and we could never find our rhythm," Gortat said. "They came out strong and with a lot of energy. We were not ready to play either physically or mentally. We didn't have the best effort. I'm trying to do as much as possible and it is very frustrating." QUOTE TO NOTE: "In the second quarter it really got away from us. It was close in the first quarter but Houston is too good of a team to let them get up 20 points at half. It was disappointing that our effort wasn't there." -- Suns forward Grant Hill, on the Suns embarrassing loss to the Rockets.


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For the second straight week, the Suns come home for a Saturday game trying to salvage a split after putting up a half-hearted effort on the road. Last week, it was a 38-point beat-down in Portland in which the Suns failed to put forth the kind of effort coach Alvin Gentry expects, no matter the opponent or situation. And it happened again Friday in Houston when the same Suns team that had its offense humming in New Orleans was back to its old hiccupping ways against the Rockets. Eight decent minutes to start the game, and that was it. The Suns' starters had Phoenix down by 10 after one period. By halftime, it was 20. Gentry had seen enough by then, playing out the string with his reserves in a 99-81 loss on the hope that his team will put forth a better effort against 3-20 Charlotte on Saturday. The Rockets made the Suns look like they were standing still -- and at times, that truly was the case. Houston grabbed 14 of 49 rebounds on the offensive end and had their way all night. "When you play this team you have to play grown-up basketball and we didn't do that," said Gentry, who is increasingly frustrated with each lopsided loss. "We got pushed around and the end result was what it was. We need to play harder and play grown-man basketball and not get pushed around, and be able to make plays. You have to compete and match energy with energy. "I wasn't pleased with anything we did. There were no bright spots and no moral victories. We have to do a much better job than what we did and come out with energy, and that's on me since I'm the coach." The Bobcats have lost 10 straight and are without leading scorer Gerald Henderson. Ex-Sun Boris Diaw is always a threat, but a loss Saturday on the heels of another embarrassment might start questions about Gentry's job security with more than 40 games still to go.


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Seven players score in double figures for the Rockets en route to a 99-81 defeat for the Suns.
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The Phoenix Suns haven't earned too many wins lately, especially at home, but a matchup with the NBA's worst team would appear to provide the opportunity for a rare victory.


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Hi.  Next is New Orleans.  I posted a thread about a game yesterday which didn't happen because
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Less than two months remain before the NBA 's March 15th trade deadline, and rumors are heating up about guys not named Dwight Howard .

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Like the Phoenix Suns, the Houston Rockets don't get much notoriety. They lack a great deal of star power and aren't on a hot streak.

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There's quite a bit to Gordon Monson's column revisiting of the end of the Jerry Sloan era in Utah, none more surprising than the claim from Jazz legend Karl Malone that Malone had to pay for a ticket from a … Continue reading →
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Home court is always important, but this year more than normal. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: getting home games early in the season is really important, and probably better than getting a ton of them late in the season.

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Playing against Sideling Hill League opponent Fannett-Metal, the Indians crashed the boards, won the turnover battle and out-hustled the Tigers on their way to a convincing 69-40 win.

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The NBA tipped off February with 11 games last night. Let's take a swing from coast-to coast as we hit all theA highlightsA and lowlights from a full first day of February.

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In an interview with Arizona Sports, Suns rookie power forward Markieff Morris admitted he asked Alvin Gentry if he could come off the bench:

"When I was starting I was taking a backseat...For me I was kind of deferring to Gortat and Steve and Grant. I felt like I was just out on the court. I felt like I wasn't doing anything."

Um, so why weren't you doing anything? You don't need the ball to do things when you are on the court. Hm.

You can't blame Morris for wanting to go back to a more productive role coming off the bench, where he averages 8 and 5, as opposed to his mostly awful numbers as a starter. However, I am not so sure what kind of message that sends to Alvin Gentry and the general public. On one hand you have a Josh Childress dying for minutes yet continuing his mantra of team first. I'm ready, I'll do whatever coach wants, when he wants it. I'm ready to go. Morris however sees himself as a bench guy:

"I just told Alvin I think it would be better if I come off the bench and bring that spark off the bench."

There's nothing wrong with providing a spark off the bench, but if the rookie really means what he says, you don't have to read too much into his words to believe that he wants to establish his own role, and what the coach my think or say doesn't much matter.

"I know my role...I have to be aggressive because I'm one of the go-to guys off the bench."

Yes Markieff, but your team is lacking go-to guys in the starting lineup, too. And you were placed in the starting lineup due in part to your success coming off the bench. I suppose he hasn't realized that or has career aspirations of winning consecutive "6th Man of the Year."

I'm not going to lambaste the rookie over these comments. He is young. And youngsters often say things they do not mean. Heck, I say plenty of things I don't mean, and I'm old. But I would think a rookie who wants to play NBA ball for a long time would have a few tag lines in his repertoire ready at all times.

So, since I am mostly a nice guy, a fan of Markieff and the Suns, I would like to help the youngster. Call it taking him under my wing from afar. Here are a few simple quotes Markieff can use to stave off any doubts about what he is here to do:

1. "I'm just here to help my team win as many games possible. I'll come off the bench if coach wants or I'll be a starter. Whatever coach wants me to do."

2. "Playing with Steve Nash in the first unit is an honor and I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to play with a future hall of famer."

3. "Playing with Grant Hill in the first unit is an honor and I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to play with a man of such high character. I'm also learning a lot just watching him. He's the ultimate professional"

4. "I'm thankful that Channing Frye is sucking so bad because it gives me the chance to play starters minutes." (SARC)

5. "I didn't come into the NBA to sit on the bench. Coach thinks I'm a starter, and I'm going to play like a starter.

Hey, that was fun. Can you all think of some things
Markieff could say that would leave us no
doubt that he's here to be a beast?

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Phoenix Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby sat for an interview on KTAR's Doug and Wolf Show Wednesday afternoon and discussed the state of the team as the Suns were heading into their game against the Hornets.

Despite the team's struggles and dubious hopes for improvement, the hosts didn't ask the most probing, challenging questions of Babby but, after a few minutes of small talk about the Super Bowl, got down to business talking about lessons learned by the Suns front office since Babby assumed control in the summer of 2010.

In the interview, the full audio of which can be heard here, Babby talked about the importance of staying the course as a team executive, and then had this to say when asked "who do you lean on, who do you confide in in the front office?"

Babby replied:

"The one thing that's developed in the year-and-a-half since I've been here is a great rapport among Lance Blanks, John Treloar, myself and other members of our staff, and also Robert Sarver. We have a great relationship among the three of us. We all bring different things. I bring my experience, Lance brings his experience, John's a coach so he brings his experience and I think it's a symbiotic relationship...I enjoy my relationship with those guys and we learn from each other every day."

"I felt like we should all be on equal footing and all the management should have at least three years together," Babby said. "We're going to have to make important decisions together. This was the right decision for Alvin and for us and he deserved it. It was a no-brainer."

Poll

Was Lon Babby's statement an indication that Alvin Gentry is being excluded from personnel decisions?

• Yes, it sure sounds like it.
• No, nothing to see here. Move along.

  211 votes | Results

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There's a lot of ways to "count" and use "mathematical tricks" to create "statistics" that measure the relative performance of various players. We count their points to determine scoring leaders. We average their shooting rates to determine efficiency. We use regression analysis to measure the correlation between shoe size and points per possession to calculate their Podiatric Efficiency Determinant (PED).

OK, I made the last one up but come on, how awesome would that stat be!

PEDs aside, SB Nation's NBA National Editor Tom Ziller put his big brain to the task and came up with another way to look our our NBA heroes. He measured scoring volatility to demonstrate consistency:

On Volatility Among The NBA's Top Scorers: How Valuable Is LeBron James' Consistency? - SBNation.com
I borrowed a trick from finance: I took the standard deviations of the players' game-by-game scoring totals and divided by their scoring average. This gives us a volatility rating

Ziller used his newest number trick to compare the NBA's top ten scorers and come up with a chart (of course) that has Carmelo Anthony on one end with a 44% volatility rating and LeBron James on the other end with a 20.8%.

In this case, the lower number is better because that means a player is giving a more consistent and predictable scoring result.

Would you rather have Melo, who has big games some nights and games with just one point? Or LeBron, who's going to give you a steady number each night?

Or, would you rather have Josh Childress, who will sit on the bench and not play at all for eight games and then come in and give you four points? Obviously, you would rather have Josh since that's the most consistent result with the least amount of volatility.

So how do the Suns scoring stars compare to the league's best?

Read on and your question that I just inserted into your mind using mind tricks and dream manipulation will be answered...

Marcin Gorat 2012: 38.2%

Marcin Gorat 2011 (w/ the Suns): 43.2%

Steve Nash 2012: 48.7%

Steve Nash 2011: 42.2%

And now some homework for you...Answer these questions in essay form in the comments below.

• How do you think Gortat and Nash compare with their peers?
• Why do you think Nash's volatility this year is so much higher than last year?
• What did you think of the ending of the movie Inception?

For more exclusive content, follow us on Twitter @Brightsidesun and "Like" us on Facebook.

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We're not going to tell you how horrible a death the Magic are experiencing. Orlando's collapse has been startling, but it's hard to imagine them playing anywhere nearly as badly as this in the future, and in this East, they still rank as a maybe-second-but-probably-first-round team that is ready to implode at any second.

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